THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP’s statewide outreach initiative, ‘Grihasamparka Yajna’, launched on September 25 ahead of the local body elections, has gained unexpected momentum with the Sabarimala gold-plating scandal emerging as a major political weapon against the Left government.
Initially, the BJP leadership was concerned over the perceived drift of powerful community organisations like the NSS and the SNDP Yogam towards the Left Front during the recent global meet of Ayyappa devotees. But with allegations of corruption in the gold-plating project at Sabarimala temple coming to the fore, the party now sees an opportunity to not only counter the Left but also consolidate its Hindu vote base, which it had feared was slipping away.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday night mounted a direct attack on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPM, tweeting, “For Pinarayi Vijayan’s CPM, nothing is sacred-even corruption and stealing from temples is ok.” He further insisted that the charges must be probed not by a retired judge appointed by the state government, but by an independent agency, reflecting the party’s determination to keep the issue in public focus.
According to BJP sources, the statement issued by the Pandalam Palace Managing Committee on Friday, demanding a detailed inquiry into the gold-plating scandal, has given the party additional ammunition. “The CPM-led government conducted the Ayyappa devotees’ meeting with a political agenda.
The recent controversy has exposed the true nature of the CPM-led government. Our campaign, which aims to reach 50 lakh households, will highlight both the BJP’s development agenda and the corruption of both the CPM and Congress. The gold-plating issue has become a key talking point in our campaign,” admitted a senior leader.
The BJP has, however, been cautious not to directly target the NSS and SNDP Yogam leadership, even as allegations intensify against individuals such as Unnikrishnan Potti. Party leaders said that their fight is against the Left government, not the community organisations.
Insiders said that by refraining from attacking the NSS and SNDP Yogam, the BJP is keeping its channels open for potential alignment with both organisations while also ensuring that the narrative stays focused on the alleged corruption under the CPM-led government.